BHUBANESWAR: The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday approved a direct express train connecting Puri and Koraput, linking 10 coastal, central, western and southern districts of the state.
The announcement of the train ahead of the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath has brought huge cheer, as it will be the first direct train connecting Puri and Koraput, fulfilling a long-pending demand of people from southern Odisha.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for approving the new train, which, he said, will enable more pilgrims from the Koraput and Sambalpur regions to travel comfortably to Puri.
The new train, Puri-Koraput-Puri Express (18407/18408), will connect coastal, western and southern Odisha with improved passenger convenience and regional accessibility. The train is expected to reduce travel time. Between Puri and Koraput, the train will take an estimated 16 hours and 30 minutes to cover 835.38 km. On the return journey, it will take 17 hours and 20 minutes.
So far, the date of commencement of the train has not been announced. The train will depart from Puri at 7 am on Monday, Thursday and Saturday and reach Koraput at around 1.30 pm the next day. On the return route, it will depart from Koraput at 5 am on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and arrive in Puri at 10.20 pm.
The train will have 19 stoppages at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Naraj Marthapur, Dhenkanal, Talcher Road, Angul, Boinda, Rairakhol, Sambalpur, Bargarh Road, Balangir, Titilagarh, Kesinga, Muniguda, Rayagada, Tikiri, Laxmipur Road, Kakiriguma and Damanjodi.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said the new train is expected to boost tourism, particularly religious tourism, and enhance economic and social connectivity between key regions of the state.
The Railway Ministry said the introduction of the train fulfils a long-standing aspiration of people from several underserved regions of Odisha for a direct rail link between Puri, Bhubaneswar and the tribal-dominated districts of southern Odisha.
The new train is also expected to significantly enhance regional integration and socio-economic development by improving mobility between coastal Odisha and the interior districts of western and southern Odisha.
Congress MP from Koraput, Saptagiri Ulaka, who had demanded direct connectivity, welcomed the announcement. “Done. New daytime train from Koraput to Bhubaneswar via Rayagada announced,” he posted on micro-blogging platform X.